Camel feet and GOD!

This year I started using a new cirriculum called My Fathers World.

It is an amazing program that lets you homeschool MULTI-AGE children...easily.

Which means you teach Science, history, bible study, and geography ALL together.

A little like "Little House on the Prarie"....for each of those subjects-taking it to different levels for different ages.

The core subjects are done individually.

An AMAZING program ...especially for a family with "stair-step kids".

The first year you spend on Geography instead of history.

Which I think is a GREAT idea...I can't tell you how much I have learned this year!!! (I think we all know VERY LITTLE geography...be honest.)

The last few weeks we have been on the continent of ASIA...in the country of Saudi Arabia.( See you had NO IDEA what continent Saudi Arabia was on. LOL)



Which means we study ALL THINGS desert, camel,drought,sand,and heat.

Today, after coloring our map sheets and talking about the traditional dress of the Saudi Arabians.....we talked about camels.

We talked about the body of a camel and why GOD made him this magnificent way.

Perfect skin for the DESERT SUN.

3 rows of eyelashes...perfectly placed to keep out the sand.

Perfect pads on their "knees" ......already callused - from birth.

Humps on their backs ...perfectly situated to carry water and LOADS.

and

Wide, padded feet ...perfectly made to balance and NOT SINK in the desert sand.

So...to prove this point and add a visual...we did an experiment.





We got out 2 bowls and filled both with salt- to mimic the sand of the desert.



Then, talked about a camels feet and why they DON'T sink..



We talked about how because God made their feet WIDE they take up more surface area ..then if they were NOT SO WIDE.



Then we observed what would happen when you placed a smaller "foot" in the "sand".



As opposed to a WIDE, THICK "foot".



It was a fun, easy experiment which gave us the opportunity to discuss not only surface area, but also GOD'S INFINITE WISDOM.



Awesome....

One HECTIC lovely schedule!!!!

Well....Its almost time.
I have spent the summer THINKING about what I wanted this year to look like for our homeschool.
Sometimes just THINKING about it makes me throw up a little in my mouth.
3rd grade, 1st grade, Kindergarten, AND preschool.
I'm SWEATING just THINKING about it.
The good thing is that every year I tend to realize how i need to get a little more organized.
A little more DILIGENT with my time.
I need to PLAN a little more everytime I add a grade.
Who am I kidding???
Every year I realize I need to plan ALOT more.
LOL
I was telling a 1st time HS mom friend of mine that I LOVE to have a schedule.
I need a schedule!!!
Even though it is LOVELY to drift thru the LAZY days of summer....
We love the LONG days of swimming, sleepovers, and PJ days.
BUT....by the end of 3 months I am ready for a little order to our lives.
I am ready to get back to bedtimes,school schedules, and SATURDAY night sleepovers!
Every year I realize how much MORE I love my schedule.
I finally have the schoolroom in order ( I only need chairs).
I already made my plans for Bible study and extras.
I am working on mapping out the last few subjects.
This week is CRUNCH week for me.
Nothing like leaving it till the last POSSIBLE minute!LOL
After talking to some of my HS friends...
I decided to post what OUR school day will look like.
They were all asking and I ALWAYS wonder about how others schedule THEIR day.
So Here goes:

We are AIMING to be up and doing chores by 8 am.
Starting school at 8:30 or 9:00.
Mondays:
Bible study
Math
LA/Reading+(spelling words 3x)
Spanish
Lunch
History
Art
Kids Zumba @ 4:30

Tuesdays:
Bible study
Math
LA/Read+(sayings)
Spanish
HSPE @ YMCA -1:30
ART
Kids Yoga @4:30

Wednesdays:
Bible Study
LA/Read+(writing)
Math
Science
Lunch
History
Football Practice @ 5pm

Thursday:
Bible Study
LA/Read+(poetry)
Math
Lunch
History
Gymnastics(girls)/skatepark(boys) - 2pm

Friday:
Bible study
LA/Read+(spelling test)
Math
Finish any UNDONE work
Science co-op @ 1:30+(show-and-tell)
HS co-op PE @ 3pm

WOW!!!!! I TIRED and EXCITED all at the same time!!!!
Who would have ever thought THIS would be MY LIFE?????
God works in MANY a mysterious ways........

Were growing MOLD!!!!

Well were doing a science experiment on MOLD!!!!
We started by getting some food that would MOLD.


We discussed what food would mold easily.
We chose bread, squash, and bananas.
The kids dipped the food in a cup of water and put them in a jar and sealed it up.


Then we made signs so that no one would touch or move them.
If you know Jay...we have to do this, or we would NEVER actually SEE the mold...He would have already have thrown them away.


The kids really liked doing this...We will keep you updeated with the "MOLD TERRERIUM"
I LOVE these Science Experiments!!!!
Hooray!!!!

"Tricking Fish" at the Lighthouse Homeschool Day!!!

Well today we went to the Saint augustine Lighthouse for their 1st monthly Homeschool day.
It was called "Tricking Fish".

The kids had a great time before it started.
We went inside the museum and looked around, IT HAD A/C!!!!!!

There was lots of interesting things inside, the kids liked the stairs...Go Figure!!

There is a little nature walk all around the grounds. The kids LOVE to find all the old boats they had sitting around.

The first station we visited was "fish printing".
They LOVED IT!!!!!!

The next station was all about fish eyes and "ears".
They had goggles where the kids could see how a fish would see.

Sheba HAD to get in the action...Hearing what a fish must hear.

Needless today, besides the 150 degree heat and the HUGE DOUBLE STROLLER that kept us from actually climbing the Lighthouse, it was a sucessfull day of Homeschooling for the Vallone crew.
Well keep you posted in our upcomming adventures!!!

FROGS,FROGS,FROGS!!!!!!

Over the last couple of weeks it has rained EVERY DAY!!!
Needless to say, many frogs must have laid their eggs, because I am NOT KIDDING when I say we have 1000's of BABY frogs all over our property!


A couple of days ago, I went outside to see how our plants were taking "the flood",
and I looked down and my jaw dropped as I looked down at my feet and saw probably 50 frogs right under me!
Of course, I thought, TIME FOR SCHOOL!!!!!


So I called everyone out there and we set out on our lesson on frogs!
As the kids caught frogs for two hours, we talked about what frogs eat, where they live, and their life cycle.
Then we let the frogs go, as Zeek says "back to their natural habitat".(He is sooo smart!)



What a blessing it is to see brand new life all over our property.
And what a blessing it is to be able to just jump right into a lesson and have the kids so emmersed into something that I could have told them we were going to Disney and they wouldnt have cared!



(OK>>>>Maybe that last statement was a little BOLD...They PROBABLY would have chose Disney, but ONLY if they knew the frogs would be there when they got back! LOL)
Anyway...They love the frogs and have been out there for the last 3 days with them.
We will keep you updated and let you know what else we learn about FROGS, FROGS, FROGS!!!!!